The writer of the epistle of Hebrews reassuringly closes the letter by quoting scripture, notably Psalm 118:6-
The Lord is on my side;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
Because the writer of Hebrews quotes the Septuagint, the Greek Bible used by Jews of that time, the quote reads a little differently, and puts that verse in a little different light.
The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”
I do not claim that one is more accurate than the other, nor do I prefer one over the other. They do paint totally different pictures in my mind.
I read that “the Lord is on my side,” and I imagine that I’m lined up on a dusty frontier street, my hand at the ready next to my sixshooter. I’m facing off against a gang of bad guys who smirk with confidence. I hear nothing but my heart pounding. I know I cannot take them all out. My hope is to take at least one with me before they gun me down.
As if with one mind, the entire gang of outlaws look dismayed They cannot believe their eyes. The whole lot of them turn tail and run. I look beside me and there stands John Wayne. He says, “Looks to me like there’s no one left to fight.”
When I read that “the Lord is my helper,” I cannot help but imagine that I am sitting at a computer, trying to hack into an account belonging to a mad scientist. If I cannot discover the password, the world will end. Next to me, with a paperclip, a piece chewing gum wrapped in foil, and a Swiss army knife in hand, is McGyver. He rolls his eyes and shakes his head at me. “I got this,” he says.
I know. I know. I just compared God to John Wayne and McGyver. Not really. You and I both know that those are just silly illustrations. Whether God is protecting you from evil, or easing life’s most difficult tasks, He is a good God.
Fear Not, for the Lord is our Helper.
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